Jerry Ghionis started his professional career in 1994 and has emerged as one of the most influential wedding photographers of the 21st century. Australian born and of Greek heritage, he is based in Melbourne, Australia and travels frequently on international assignments.
He was obsessed with photography after he was given his first camera at the age of fifteen. After completing high school in 1990, Jerry started a four year photography course and quit after a year as he was tired of his teachers trying to teach him to save the world with one photograph.
In 1994, after working at a few camera retail stores, Jerry approached a popular studio in Melbourne and offered to work for no pay on weekends and did so for the next year. He soon adopted the role as studio manager and principal photographer. Eager to spread his wings, Jerry started his own business in 1997 and has since been the backbone of one of Australia’s largest and most respected studios.
In 2004, Jerry was bestowed the title of Master of Photography by the A.I.P.P. (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) With an uncompromising pursuit for excellence, Jerry’s success can be attributed to consistency and the constant reinvention of himself and his company. With his biggest reinvention to date, Jerry launched his new boutique studio in 2009 that bears his name in the prestigious Docklands precinct of Victoria Harbour in Melbourne and caters to discerning clients who only demand the best.
Continuing to raise the bar and push the photography industry, Jerry stamps a recognizable and unique style with everything he photographs. His versatility extends to the wedding, portrait and fashion fields with a reputation for creating theatrical and iconic image of his subjects. With the flair of a fashion designer and the ingenuity of an architect, his style can be described where vintage glamour meets contemporary fashion.
In 2007 alone, he was the only Australian named as one of the Top Ten Wedding Photographers in the world by American Photo magazine and was named an "Icon of Imaging" by Microsoft. He was the only photographer outside the U.S. to be named an Icon and is one of 13 people in the world to be included in the coveted list of photography pioneers. In 2009 Jerry won his 6th International Wedding Album of the Year Award at W.P.P.I. (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) among 8 awards as well as being named by WPPI as one of the top 5 Wedding photographers in the World.
For three years in a row, Jerry has achieved the Diamond level Photographer of the Year Award from PPA (Professional Photographers of America) with all 12 of his entries for the past three years making the P.P.A. loan collection.
Jerry has been named as the A.I.P.P. National Wedding Photographer of the Year and has also twice won the A.I.P.P. State Wedding and Professional Photographer of the Year Awards and many others at State and National levels respectively.
Jerry has been featured in articles published in American Photo, Rangefinder, Professional Photographer, Pro Photo, Image Maker, Capture, The Age, The Sun, The City Weekly and many others. His images have graced the covers of over thirty magazines and countless fashion editorials.
Known as the “MacGyver” of photography, Jerry has the innate ability to turn ordinary situations into extraordinary images.
Emerging as the undisputed leader of a new generation of photographers, Jerry has the rare gift of being a celebrated artist, a natural entrepreneur and an inspirational teacher. He continues to raise the benchmark of excellence as an artist who is admired and respected by his peers and loved by his clients. As a dynamic public speaker, Jerry inspires and educates fellow professional photographers all over the world with his passionate approach to photography and his natural business acumen that has made him a leader in the photography industry. His educational website the theicesociety.com has set the standard for online learning and his various other educational products have inspired photographers from all over the world.
Jerry’s most recent passion is the creation of his non-profit charitable foundation named the Soul Society, which cares for poor, homeless and orphan children in third world countries. www.thesoulsociety.org
His first project is to build a new home for 27 children in Cambodia. He realizes that he can’t save the world with one photograph but can change the world, one photograph at a time.
Jerry is available for wedding, portrait, fashion, special event and speaking engagements anywhere in the world.
Visit Jerry’s blog at www.jerryghionisblog.com
Seminars, Workshops, Educational Products and online learning, visit www.theicesociety.com
